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-"Nobody ever forgot what happened in the past. The faces of the dead would forever haunt them wherever they went. However, they all knew deep within their hearts, that their friends weren’t dead, and that someday, they would definitely be able to see them again."-

The Winged Ones

Within the city of Roscar, there was a war between the Rebellion, and the Cult of Beyden. The Cult wanted power above all else. They believed in their prophecy that once six of the seven winged ones are killed, the last will be granted the power of the gods. The Cult however also believed in superiority above the entire world. They wished to destroy all that opposed them, and rule everything with an iron fist. They wished to renew the world by destroying every other living being besides themselves. They were responsible for the barrier that has been made around the city. Nobody could get in or out, and interference from the outside world was impossible.
The Rebellion however was against the Cult. They believed that when the 7th one appeared, he/she would lead them to victory according to the other half of the prophecy. The 7th of the winged ones however, has yet to be found. Of the six known already, 3 were on either side, including Kadan, the leader of the Cult. The two who worked under him agreed to stay allied until the Winged of the Rebellion side were dead. The rest of the Cult would scour the city, fighting the rest of the Rebellion as they searched for the 7th Winged One.
Winged Ones were known as powerful magi, capable of complex magics far above that of a regular magi. They had wings resembling that of mythical creatures, including angels and demons. Their powers were usually awakened after some kind of hard ship. The amount of hardship needed depended on the power of the Winged One.

Kasey Rockwood was a black fox with brown eyes and white hair. His paws and the tip of his tail were tipped with white. He wore a black shirt, a thin blue trench coat, and a black pair of pants. He was 20 years old, and a part of the Rebellion. His parents died 5 years ago during the war. He completely lost it then, and became associated with evil organizations and gangs with little regards to its victims.
The only way Rebellions recognized each other was by a red sash tied around their right wrist. They were a scattered but organized group, and a big threat to the Cult.
Kasey was currently out in the street with a group of gunners, shooting at a couple of cultists from behind a barricade of cars and crates. He cursed as another of his men were shot down. “We need back up!” he shouted. His eyes widened when he saw one of them cast out a fireball towards the group of cars. “Run!” he shouted. He jumped down as the group of cars behind him blew up, then stumbled back up and started rushing out, not bothering to see if his other gunners survived. He looked back when he heard a couple of hover boards speed over the fire.
He dodged left and right as they fired at him. He ran as fast as he could, trying hopelessly to outrun them. He sprawled into the ground as one of them rammed into him with their board. They circled around him, laughing madly. Kasey closed his eyes, thinking he was about to be killed when a couple of fireballs rained down from above. One of them screamed out as a fireball passed straight through him.
A female fox with long black hair, blue eyes, smooth red fur, and black tips for her paws and tail, flipped down from the sky. She wore a white shirt, a black jacket, and a pair of tight black pants. She also had large majestic white wings shining brilliantly behind her. ‘A winged!?’ thought Kasey in alarm as he watched the wings blur out of sight.
“Get behind me!” she shouted. Kasey did as he was told, and they both fired all around them with their guns, slaying all the cultists who were flying around them. Kasey smiled, and then looked back as a few other bullets swung by. “Come on!” she commanded as she pulled Kasey into a dark alley nearby, out of view from the fire.
Another fox and a brown cat were there, waiting for them. The fox had the same colors as the vixen, except he had a more muscular build and shorter hair. A large scar lay across his cheek. He wore a red shirt, a green jacket, and a pair of tan-colored pants. He obviously had to be the vixen’s brother. The cat had short black hair and green eyes. He wore a black vest, a green shirt, and some jeans.
“It looks like we’ve lost another street!” said the vixen, keeping her back to the wall.
“It appears so!” the newcomer cat answered back.
"Because of me," Kasey muttered to himself.
“WHAT!?” the vixen tried to shout over the noise, looking back at him. She leaned back as couple of bullets flew by, and then looked out again. “d**n, they’re coming!” The bigger fox patted Kasey's shoulder, than all four of them ran to the back of the alley. When they reached the end, the fox started trying the door on the side of one of the buildings. “Hurry up, they’ll be here any second!” the vixen shouted.
The man cursed when he realized it was locked, than he stepped back, and pointed his hand at it. The door suddenly clicked. He quickly opened the door, allowed the others to rush in, than closed it behind them. The fox slumped down against the door.
“We made it…” he said with a sigh of relief.
“That all depends on whether they find us or not…” muttered the cat as he sat down against the wall with his knee up.
The vixen sat down on a crate, reloading her gun. “So, who the heck are you supposed to be?” she asked dryly, glancing at Kasey.
“I should be the one asking you guys. The names Kasey Rockwood,” he answered.
“And you’re part of the Rebellion?” she went on. Kasey quickly showed his red band. “So I see… good then. I’m Rain Windwalker, and this is Aaron, my brother. The cat’s name is Kiba,” she said in a formal tone.
“Then does that mean you’re both…?” he trailed off. Kasey was implying on the fact that they were siblings, remembering the wings she had.
“Winged? Yes, we’re both one of the three Winged Ones fighting on our side. In fact, Aaron’s our leader,” she answered.
Kasey looked at Aaron as he grinned back. “Lucky for you we came when we did, or you’d be a goner by now.”
“Why were you guys here then?” Kasey asked curiously. Rain nodded at Kiba. Kiba began to explain.
“We’re here because we’re looking for the last Winged One. Unless he or she’s somehow already been killed, the 7th should turn up any time now, and we can’t let the cultists get their hands on whoever it is.”
Kasey looked at him, and nodded. “Goit…” They all went silent when they heard a few men walk down the alley outside. Aaron held his breath as one of them passed by the door, then let it back out when he heard them start to walk away.
“Yikes, looks like we’ll have a hard time getting out…” muttered Kiba.
“We’ll head back to the headquarters at night then. I’d say that’s our best bet,” said Aaron.
“Wait, an HQ? I never heard anything about an HQ!” Kasey exclaimed.
Rain grinned. “Not very many people know about it. Formal welcomes are hard to come by in times like this, you know? You can come with us if you like!”
“Ha, like I have anywhere else to go!” said Kasey.
“Really? You don't have any friends or family to go back to?" she asked with a frown.
“No… they’re all dead…” Kasey said in almost a whisper.
Rain’s eyes widened slightly, and then turned darkly to the side. “Oh, I see…”

When night fell, they started to sneak out. Rain pressed her back against the wall and looked around the corner. The cultists left behind to guard were sleeping peacefully. Someone had cleared out the wreckage that blocked the street. Kasey saw one of the hover boards they had nearby, leaning against the wall. “Why don’t we use that?” he whispered.
“Idiot, do you know how much noise that thing makes!? Are you ‘trying’ to kill us!?” she whispered back sharply.
“Humph, fine then… but you two don’t have to stick around with us. You could just fly off any time,” Kasey muttered.
“We can’t do that,” said Aaron. “’Tis our code that we follow. We don’t leave anyone behind, especially as a Winged One.” Kasey looked at him with curiosity and wonderment.
“Alright, let’s get going!” Rain whispered. She headed them around the corner, keeping to the shadows. After they got out of sight of the street, they were led to a large bridge over a river. On the other side was another part of the city, though much smaller than this side. Kasey recognized the bridge as where he once crossed to escape his home, which was filled with too many unpleasant memories.
“Hurry up!” whispered Kiba, who was getting impatient. “Or we’re going on without you!” Kasey nodded slowly, then followed after them with a feeling of uncertainty.
When they got across the bridge, Rain led them to an abandoned Inn. “In here!” she said as she got inside. She led them up the stairs past some sleeping members of the Rebellion inside the rooms. “This’ll be your room, should you choose to stay here,” she said as she pointed at an empty room.
“Got it… err, what about dinner?” he asked.
“Well, if you’re hungry, I could cook up whatever leftovers my sister’s made.”
“You have a sister?”
“Well, she’s not REALLY my sister… but we’re close you see…” she replied as she turned and headed downstairs.
“I’m not really hungry… so I’ll be getting some sleep. Call me if you need anything! And by the way, welcome to our humble abode…” said Kiba with a grin.
“Heh. Yeah, thanks,” answered Kasey as he waved him off, and then headed down the stairs with Aaron. After they had dinner, Kasey got to bed, and stared up at the ceiling, letting his memories play through his mind. He sighed, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

The next day, Kasey went downstairs and got himself some breakfast. Nobody seemed to notice him, even though he was new. He figured it must have been a usual thing to see around here. He saw Rain staring into the distance away from everyone else, barely even touching her cereal. He sat down next to her. “’Morning Rain… well you look cheery,” he said sarcastically as he started eating.
Rain sighed. “Well, it’s none of your concern…” she replied tiredly. Kiba and a female black cat sat down next to them with steaming bacon, eggs, and pancakes. The cat had blue eyes, and wore a dark green shirt, and some tan-colored pants. She also had long brown hair.
“Hey, sup! Who’s the new guy?” asked the cat.
“Oh, I’m Kasey…” he replied with a smile and a wave.
“Yeah, we caught him up somewhere yesterday, when we were hiding from some people,” Kiba added.
“Ah, so that’s why you guys were late!” She extended a paw towards him. “Hi, I’m Mira! Nice to meet you!”
Kasey shook it politely. “Nice to meet you too!” he answered with a grin.
“Yeah, she’s my sister I was telling you about yesterday!” Rain said with a smile.
Mira hugged her. “Aww, you called me sister!”
Kiba leaned in towards Kasey. “Oh, they're way more than that,” he said jokingly.
“And just what do you mean by that? Quiet you!” Mira snapped. Kasey laughed, than finished breakfast.
A while later, Rain walked up to him. “Ready for your first official mission here? That is, if you’re going to stay,” she said. “Can’t have you sitting around lazily and calling yourself a member, right?”
“Ha, of course I’m coming!” He grabbed his gun and headed out with a few other members. Rain was with them as well. “And you’re coming with us because…?” Kasey asked.
“Hey, don’t be rude! I’m here to baby-sit any of the newcomers that join the party. That’s just the way we do things,” she answered.
Kasey nodded as they headed across the bridge. “So, who’s the third Winged One?”
“You just met her not too long ago. Mira’s the one. It’s actually kinda cool, since I’m pretty much closely connected to both of the Winged Ones on our side.”
“Yeah, that is pretty cool!” he answered in wonderment. When they reached their destination, some other gunners were already fighting the other side. Kasey immediately took up his position and started firing back. This street was dangerously close to the bridge, so it was a bad time to lose now.
They started charging in when they realized the battle was in their favor. He and Rain shot around, killing a few boarders trying to get close. The members almost went back to back as they killed the ones hiding between the buildings. As they got close to where the rest of the enemies were, Rain ran forwards with two fingers pulled around her other arm. A burst of blue flame erupted on the end of them. She shot her paw forward, and then a devastating blast of light blew a good portion of the center cultists.
Kasey watched in awe, and then was snapped back into his senses when a silhouette stepped through the flames. The flames spread out around the figure as it stepped through. He was a black panther wearing an unbuttoned red shirt, and a black pair of pants. He was obviously a powerful magi, whether he was a Winged or not. A fireball erupted from one of his paws. “Such d**n good timing…” Rain muttered. Her eyes widened. “Get behind me!” she shouted. Kasey quickly did as he was told. A barrier went around them as the fireball shot towards Rain, the resulting fires killing many of the other members.
He watched them all die in horror. “Oh god…”
“The name’s Red Firecross… the Cult has wanted you dead for a long time Rain! And I’m glad I finally have the chance…” the panther said, smiling murderously. Rain cursed under her breath.
“Such a welcoming first day, huh?” she said sarcastically.
As the surviving members from both sides charged at each other and fired, Rain shifted out her wings, put her gun away, then flew up into the air as her hand pointed at the panther. Red suddenly grew out black-feathered wings and flew up towards her, red energy forming a long sword in his hand. Rain’s eyes widened as she created a yellow sword of her own and blocked him.
Kasey watched them helplessly as they fought each other above. He shook it out of his mind, thinking he should be glad he was even fighting with them at all. He slipped against the wall as a few shots fired by, then shot one of them in the head.
Rain and Red collided with each other above, firing at each other with red and black flames whenever they were at distance from each other. With a burst of strength, Rain sent Red flying towards the wall. He flipped expertly, then sprung off the wall and grazed her across the chest with his sword.
“RAIN!” Kasey shouted when he saw her hit the ground. He quickly ran over, and then looked up as the panther charged after her. He cursed, then took his gun up and fired at him.
Red blocked himself with a barrier. “You should know not to interrupt with other people battles, fool!” he shouted angrily as he fired a blue bolt at him. Kasey’s eyes widened when it shot straight through his shoulder. He closed his eyes, screamed out as he fell into the ground, blood rising out from his wound. Red smiled menacingly. “How weak…”
“Kasey!” Rain shouted. She quickly pushed herself up, then sprung off straight towards Red, and brought her sword down. The force of her blow sent him flying towards the ground. She sent blasts of flame at him with oppressive force. When the smoke cleared, she saw him curse aloud as he turned and took off into the air. The remaining cultists turned and ran. Rain quickly ran over to Kasey’s side. “Kasey, speak to me! Kasey…”
Those were the last words he heard before closing his eyes.

He woke up in his bed with a start. It was getting close to sunset outside. He winced as he felt his shoulder sting, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as it did before. He wondered if it was all a dream. “So you’re finally awake?” came Rain’s voice. She walked in from the door. “How does your wound feel?” she asked.
“So… it wasn’t a dream then? Yeah, I feel fine. Somehow…” he trailed off in confusion.
“No, it wasn’t a dream. I was able to heal you with my powers just before you could die…” said Rain.
“Oh… then what about you?” he asked. Rain smiled.
“I’m fine; thanks for asking. Winged Ones are able to self-heal a lot faster than regular people do,” she replied.
Kasey smiled. “I’m glad then…” He turned sideways, and sat on the edge of his bed.
“You sure you don’t wanna rest?” she asked.
“No, I’m okay…” he replied.
“That’s good… but next time, leave all the Winged One battles to me or the others. Someone like you could never hope to defeat people like them,” she said in a scolding tone.
“But I… I want to fight!” he retorted. “Especially if a friend is in trouble…”
Rain sighed, then walked over and sat down next to him. “Look at reality Kasey… you’re not a Winged One, and you’re not even a magi. There’s no way you’ll be able to protect yourself when they send out their attacks. I also don’t want anyone’s blood spilled for my sake, do you understand?”
“No, I don’t understand…” Kasey said darkly.
“Heh… you know whom you remind me of? Mira… She used act like this all the time, until she realized her powers that is… Tell ya what: You can fight with me, but only if you let me give you some training in the arts of the magi first.”
Kasey smiled at her, and then nodded. “Works for me! But, won’t I also need to fly…?”
Rain chuckled. “And how are you going to do that?” she asked.
Kasey scratched his chin, deep in thought. “We have to somehow get our hands on those hover boards…” he said. “With them, we’ll have a much bigger advantage against the Cult.”
Rain’s eyes widened. “That’s actually not such a bad idea… Of course! Why didn’t I think of it before!? I know where the closest factory is that produces those boards, and if we attack at night, they won’t even know what hit them!”
Kasey grinned. “So that means I made a good idea then?”
Rain grinned back. “Yeah well, don’t get in over your head!” She slipped off the bed and headed towards the door, then suddenly halted. “Oh, and by the way, glad to know you see me as a friend.” She turned her head and winked at him, then walked off. Kasey smiled at her as she walked off, then slipped off the bed and decided to get ready.
They headed off into the night. Kasey, Rain, and Kiba walked beside each other, in the lead of around a dozen other Rebels. They headed across the bridge, and towards the location Rain had indicated. When they noticed it in the distance, Kiba spoke. “It was a really good idea to come out here… you should come along with us more often!” said Kiba as he cheerily patted his back.
“I agree, this will definitely give us an edge against the Cult!” said Rain with a grin.
Kasey smiled modestly. “Aww, it was nothing…” When they neared it, they watched it from behind a building. The lights around it were on.
“Sheesh… you’d think they’d be off work by now…” said Kiba.
“That’s why we brought along some more people. There’s no turning back now…” said Rain as she loaded up her gun. Kasey nodded, then they headed off towards the building along with the others. Rain jumped down from the air and took out the two guarding the door with her fists. “Time to head in!” she shouted. The rest of the Rebels followed after. Kasey and Rain stood on either side of the door. They both exchanged glances and nodded at each other, before kicking down the door.
Kasey, Rain, and Kiba rushed in with their guns drawn. “All of you halt! We are taking over this factory!” One of the cultist members cursed, then he hit the alarm right near him with his fist. Kasey cursed as the alarm rang throughout the entire building. All the cultist members drew out their guns and started firing at them.
“Charge!” Kiba shouted as they rushed in and fired back.
Kasey, Rain, and a few others started fighting their way up the stairs. Kiba stayed behind and took charge of the attack below. Kasey’s eyes widened when one of the men were shot down from the window. Rain quickly shot a boarder flying outside.
“Keep going!” she shouted. They worked together as they headed down a corridor, firing down or knocking out any boarders or cultists that came up along their path. A few boarders started catching up with them from behind. Kasey cursed, then they quickly rushed around the corner. When they got in halfway, three other boarders flew out in front of them. They all went back to back as they approached.
“Dang, they're pretty persistent!” Kasey growled. Rain was about to agree when something crashed through the ceiling.
“STOP!” growled a familiar voice. It was Red Firecross, the Winged Rain had fought earlier. He landed down close to them, then pointed at Rain as an evil smile plaid across his lips. “That one’s mine!”
Kasey was about to turn his gun on him when Red suddenly appeared behind Rain in a flash. Rain's eyes widened, then she quickly brought her gun up and whirled around. Red quickly struck it in half with an energy sword. Rain swiftly made one of her own, and jumped back as she blocked another blow. Noticing Kasey, she dodged another strike, and blinded everyone with a bright light from her hands. During the confusion, she quickly slipped straight past Red as he hit the wall, then brought out her wings and flew straight up through the hole in the ceiling. Red roared out as he sped up after her.
Kasey cursed aloud as the boarders left their confusion and started firing again. He shot down any of them that got in his way, letting the other rebels deal with the rest. He grabbed one of the dead cultist's hoverboards as he passed by, and rushed off towards the next flight of stairs.
A few stories up in the air above the rooftop, Rain and Red fought viciously. Rain sent up a barrier as a few red orbs struck her shield, then sent a large fire blast at Red. The flames engulfed around him as he brought up his barrier, then he charged after Rain.
Rain flew back a short distance, then turned and clashed blades with him several times. She dodged a swing, then sped away from him again. She zigzagged in the air as Red sent a few magic bolts at her, then whirled about and clashed blades with him again.
Kasey finally got up to the top, and looked up in awe at the flashing lights as the two collided with each other again and again. It was white winged versus black winged, and the very sight of it gave off a majestic feeling. From the looks of it though, Rain was already going out of her way to defend herself. Kasey shook it off, then dropped down his board and jumped onto it. As he took off into the air, he realized how easy it was too control. It moved according to his very thoughts. He flet used to it already. The only problem was getting to keep himself balanced while keeping control over the speed of it.
Kasey fired a couple of shots, muttering to himself after all the shots had missed. When he reached the battle area, Rain could see him coming. “No Kasey, stay back! AH!” she yelped as Red’s sword nicked her shoulder.
“Keep your eye on the battle, idiot!” Red growled insultingly as he sent his barrier out against her. She screamed as it impacted with her and sent her crashing towards the roof. Kasey growled, then fired at Red again.
Red spiraled around through the air, dodging the shots expertly, then fired back with red bolts of flame.
Kasey desperately dodge them with a few awkward maneuvers, then looked up in shock when Red got close. His arm was scathed by Red's blade as he pulled back on the board out of his range. He fired back at him with a spray of bullets, then smiled when he struck Red's wings.
Red pummeled down into the rooftop and tumbled as he hit the ground. He slowly pushed himself up, cursing at his carelessness, then looked to the side when he saw a glint of light at the corner of his eyes.
Rain’s blade collided with his, the force sending him flying off the roof. She took off after him, and clashed at him oppressively.
Red cursed as she chased him oppressively through the air. He suddenly struck back when he found an opening, and regained equal grounds with her. He locked blades with her, then quickly brought his hand up and shot her in the side. Rain yelled out painfully as her flesh was ripped away. Just as Red was about to take advantage, Kasey flew down from above and shot him in the shoulder.
Red yelled out, then growled as he charged up after him. They danced around each other, firing back and forth as Kasey narrowly avoided swings from his blade.
When Red was finally able to get a straight charge towards him, a glint caught his eye. He pulled back as several blue fireballs from Rain below passed by. She was charging up at them fast, despite the blood flying out from her wound. Kasey took advantage, and started firing at Red as well.
Red dodged about as they started double-teaming against him. “d**n!” he cursed aloud, clasping his arm when it took a direct hit from Rain. He growled, then shot at Kasey’s board. He quickly turned and flew off, nursing at his wounds.
Kasey yelled out as his board broke in half, then started plummeting towards the rooftop. “Kasey!” Rain shouted. She took off after him and caught him just before he could hit the roof. She landed, and looked up as the wounded Red flew off.
Kiba finally caught up after them. “Rain, Kasey! Are you guys okay!?” he asked as he rushed over.
“We’re fine!” Rain replied as she gently placed Kasey on the ground. “Thanks Rain… you saved my life again… wait, Rain!?” Kasey sat up when he saw the gaping wound in her side. She winced and clasped at it, as she fell to her knees.
“I’ll be okay…” she managed to make out. “D-don’t worry about me!”
“Rain!? Oh god, we have to get her back…” said Kiba as he knelt down beside her. Kasey cursed, then got up and pulled Rain onto his back.
“Aaron and Mira have healing powers too, right!?” he asked desperately.
Kiba nodded. “All winged do, but we have to get her to them fast!”
“What about the factory?”
“Oh, now that the Winged is gone, we shouldn’t have any problem with getting enough hover boards back with us to Headquarters.” Kasey nodded. Kiba quickly handed him a board. “Now go!”
Rain’s bloody wings slowly faded from sight as her arms clung tightly around Kasey's neck. She felt dizzy as her vision started to fade. “Hold on, Rain…” Kasey whispered.
“Ka… sey…” she whispered weakly. Her eyes slowly closed as she lost concsiousness.

“Will she be okay!?” came Kasey’s voice.
“Don’t worry, she should be just fine…” came Aaron’s soon after.
“Thank god…” whispered Mira’s.
Rain opened her eyes and blinked a few times until her vision came back. Kasey, Aaron, and Mira were all standing over her, looking down at her. “Looks like you saved MY butt this time Kasey…” she whispered with a weak grin.
Kasey sighed in relief, and smiled back. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.
Rain nodded. “Because of you, I will be…” she whispered. She closed her eyes. “But I’m really sleepy… right..now…” she trailed off before she lost consciousness again.

The next day, Kasey woke up hearing someone shout in his ear: “Wake up!” Kasey jumped, and clasped his ears. He looked up in annoyance at Rain who was standing beside his bed.
“What do I need to wake up for!?” Kasey groaned.
“Your training, that’s what!” she said strictly.
“Training for what?” he asked.
“Your training as a magi of course!” Kasey groaned again, then slowly pulled himself out of his bed. He didn’t bother to check for the time. The sun hadn’t even risen yet.
After he got dressed and got his shoes, she led him outside. “Alright! First things first, you need to learn how to block attacks! To do this, you need to be able to tap into your riatzu,” said Rain.
Kasey scratched his head. “…Huh?”
Rain pulled a face. “Gods… what I meant was your spirit energy. Everyone has a riatzu, but most people don’t even know how to use it.”
Kasey nodded in understanding. “Okay… now how do I make a barrier?” he asked excitedly.
“Oy, you should get used to using your riatzu first. You already have control over it, but that part of you is somewhere in your mind that you have yet to open. It’s best not to think about it… just close your eyes, and ‘feel’ for it. Be aware of everything around you, and try to sense the energy pulsing from your body…”
“I’m not even sure this’ll work…” Kasey muttered. He closed his eyes, and felt a breeze pass by. The sounds of rustling leaves reached his ears. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt like giving up when he suddenly picked up something. It had a pulse just like his blood stream, except that it was pulsing out of him from all around his body. It felt like it had been there all his life, but he never remembered feeling it before. The more he focused on it, the more he began to realize its presence more and more. Eventually, it became a part of his sixth sense.
Rain narrowed her eyes. “Well? Have you got anything?” she asked.
Kasey opened his eyes, looked at her, and nodded. “I… I definitely feel it!”
“Good! Keep this in mind, for all magi spells require the use of your riatzu. Now I believe you know what a barrier looks like. The trick is focusing on your riatzu and making it move and bend to your will. With this in mind, I want you to try and block my attacks!”
“Wait, your attacking me!?” Kasey exclaimed.
Rain smiled evilly. “Experience is the best teacher, Kasey. Don’t worry, I’ll keep them weak so that even you won’t be injured by them. But that doesn’t mean they won’t sting!”
Kasey’s eyes widened as she brought her hand up. He pushed his hand forward, and tried to get his riatzu focused. Before he had enough time to think about it, a blast struck him in the shoulder and sent him stumbling backwards. “Ow! Isn’t that a little harsh!? OWCH!” He fell to the floor as another struck him in the stomach.
“Do you think the enemy’s going to play easy on you?” she asked with a dark smile. Her smile faded. “I don’t think so! Suck it up, and start concentrating!” she said commandingly.
Kasey pulled himself up, groaning. He set his legs apart, and started concentrating on his riatzu once more. The sun finally broke out into the sky. Kasey was on his hands and knees, gasping for air. A damp layer of sweat covered his clothes. There were bruises all about the front side of his body. He tried to push himself up again, but fell back down.
Rain suddenly walked towards him and knelt down beside him. She put her hand up and a blue light flowed from it. Kasey’s bruises diminished slowly. “That’s enough for today Kasey. Don’t push yourself too hard… nobody ever gets it the first time, unless of course they were a Winged One, but even I had trouble learning this stuff!” said Rain. She smiled and brought her hand forward to pick him up.
Kasey sighed and nodded, then took her hand, and pulled himself back up. Even though his wounds were gone, he was still really exhausted.
“And besides… we’re having a victory party today!” she said suddenly.
Kasey’s eyes widened, then he looked at her. “What party!? I never heard anyone plan that!”
“Heh, I woke up early and I discussed it over with Mira, Aaron, and Kiba. Taking over the factory and obtaining those hover boards was no small victory Kasey. For once, it looks like we might actually be able to win this war! And it’s all thanks to you Kasey!" she said with a grin.
"Ehehe," Kasey replied with a smile as he scratched his head. They both turned in surprise when Mira came out, yawning loudly. She rubbed her eyes a little, then looked at them.
“Oh, hey you two…” Mira said as she stretched out. “So Rain, have ya told him yet?” she asked, winking.
“Ha, since when do I ever forget about a party?” asked Rain.
“Heh, true… prepare to have fun Kasey! You haven’t seen a party ‘til you’ve seen one of ours!” Mira said with a grin. She brought her fist up to the sky. “We’re the party animals!!!”
“Hehe, remember the ‘last’ party we had Mira?” Rain asked in a sly tone.
“Oho, I would never forget about that one! That night when we were alone, to-ge-ther…” They both giggled.
Kasey’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “I don’t know if I should be excited, or horrified…”
Kiba suddenly popped up out of nowhere. “Hey, Kasey! Awake already, are we?” he asked, grinning.
“I already know about the party, Kiba…” Kasey said before he could speak.
“Oh… well, I hope you’re ready then, oh Moses of the Rebellion!” They chuckled slightly, then Kiba quickly headed off to help prepare for the celebration.
“Heh, come on! We should help out too!” said Rain as she yanked Kasey's arm and pulled him towards where everyone was else was setting up the party. Mira laughed, and walked on after them.
Tables, benches, and signs were set up all over the side of the Inn. Mira helped out with making the food. Kiba took out a large boom box, cranked the volume all the way up, and grinned mischievously before pressing the play button. Kasey almost jumped when the loud music started to play. By noon, everything was set up for the party to begin.
They had lots of fun. The food was good, the music was good, the games were lots of fun, and everyone had a great time. When the sky was turning orange, Kasey and Mira both contested with each other on a table at arm wrestling. Just when Kasey thought he was gaining the edge, Mira grinned and slammed his fist into the table. “And I win again!” she shouted with glee. The crowd that had gathered around cheered.
Rain laughed as Kasey threw his hands up in frustration. “Dang, she must have cheated!” Kasey growled.
“Hehe, better luck next time!” said Rain as she helped him out of his seat. She turned around and started walking towards the street.
“Hey, where are you going?” Kasey asked.
“Oh, I usually take a walk after I eat quite a bit. It helps me digest a little…”
“Oh… well then can I come with?” asked Kasey.
Rain smiled. “Certainly!” Kasey put his hands into his pockets, then they started walking side-by-side down the sidewalk. Mira and Kiba as well decided to get away from the loudness of the party, though they were headed to some vending machines far off. The sky was getting close to sunset, and a red orange light illuminated everything.
“Say, Kasey. Since no one’s around, this will probably be much easier to ask. I’m curious about what your life was like… before all this I mean,” said Rain with a shrug, keeping her eyes fixed forward.
Kasey looked at her in surprise, then let out a brief sigh. “Heh, not exactly a story most people would like to hear, you know? You sure you want to hear?" he asked.
There was a brief silence. “I do…” she said finally.
Kasey’s hair overshadowed his eyes as he looked down. “Back then… before the war, I lived with my family. I lived with both my parents, and we were happy then. But 5 years ago, my parents died in the war. I ran away from everything that was familiar too me. I felt I had nothing to lose anymore. I feared nothing because I embraced death. Bad people would find me and we'd do all sorts of stupid things at the expenses of others. Then when I was 18, I joined a group of people I actually liked. Everyone accepted me. I no longer wanted to wait around for death to claim me. I made some really good friends. When I was 19 though, during a raid, my best friend was shot. That was when I left the that life. As I was wandering aimlessly, I helped out a couple of guys fighting on the street. It turned out they were from the Rebellion and they accepted me in, and all I’ve been thinking about since then was attacking the enemy. That was until I met you guys…” he said, glancing at her.
Rain nodded to him and smiled, then looked away. “That must have been a miserable life… I’m not sure if I want to tell you this, but fair’s fair. I was happy at first along with my family too, until my parents divorced. Thankfully I got to live with my mom. When the war began, she started coming back from work late for some odd reason. Eventually, she told us to live with my aunt, and she started missing days at a time. I was really scared, since mom was more precious to me then anything. One day, some criminals attacked our home, and my brother and I were forced to watch my Aunt get tortured, and killed. Then…” Her lip quivered for a moment. “They started doing the same thing to us… Just when they were about to shoot, mom came in and slew them all. It turned out she was a part of the war, and never told us until then. She promised she would never leave our sides again. Back then, I felt like the only thing keeping me from a mental break down was her… Not too long after, my mom gpt killed during a fight out in the street. That was when both our powers awoke, and we slew almost everything in sight. It's horrible, thinking about all the people we've slain... and I imagine not all of them deserved it. For a time, we walked aimlessly as all these people were searching for us. My loneliness and pain turned into hatred for the Cult, and I finally got us to join the Rebellion. That was when I met Mira. She understood me better than anyone, and we became as close friends could ever be. We both supported Aaron when he was voted the next leader. There’s not much to say after that, other than the fact that we found you…” Kasey watched her the entire time. She was really close to tears.
“You… didn’t have to tell me if it was going to make you so sad…” he whispered finally.
She looked at him, wiped away a tear, and shook her head. “No, it’s okay… I actually feel a little bit better now…” she said.
Kasey smiled slightly, then turned his head forward as the sun began to set behind the city. “Heh, that’s a relief…” With that, they started heading back to the Inn.

Mira and Kiba jokes along with each other and laughed all the way to the vending machines. Just as Kiba turned around, his eyes widened when he saw something purple with bird-like wings swoop down at them. A blue sword materialized in his hand, and he tried to fight off the attacker. Mira’s wings appeared, a pair of black bat-like ones, and she rushed in fighting ahead of Kiba. The enemy was strong, and in a matter of seconds, she lay in a bloody heap on the ground. Kiba yelled out and tried to protect her, but the attacker struck him in the arm hard with a katana, and sent him flying with a barrier. He groaned, and watched helplessly as the man picked Mira up over his shoulder and flew off into the air in a flash. “NO, MIRAAA!!!” he shouted out on the top of his lungs.
He tried to stand up, but he realized his left leg must have broken when it hit the concrete. He clasped his arm painfully as blood rushed down it, and started limping his way towards the HQ. As he lost blood, his head started to spin, and his vision was fading. “Mira…”

Kasey and Rain finally returned back to the hideout. “Oh, so that’s where you guys were!” said Aaron as he walked up to them. “Walking out together, are we?” he said with a wink. Kasey and Rena both blushed.
“It… it’s not what you think…” said Kasey.
Rain laughed slightly, then she looked up. Her eyes widened when she noticed Kiba limping towards them with a bloody arm and leg. “KIBA!” she shouted as she rushed towards him. Aaron and Kasey both exchanged glances, then they quickly hurried after her.
Rain caught him just before he fell, and slowly brought him to the ground. “Kiba, what in the world happened to you?” she asked.
“R-rain, he… he took Mira!” he finally managed to say before he started coughing up blood.
Rain’s eyes widened in shock. “Who!? WHO TOOK HER!?” her voice rose.
“*Cough cough* A winged one… please, save her…” he whispered before he closed his eyes and lost consciousness. Aaron and Kasey both halted in surprise. Rain was trembling violently.
Kasey extended his hand slightly. “Um, Rain…?”
Rain suddenly whirled about and lashed out at him. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” she growled. Kasey stumbled back in surprise. “Aaron, heal Kiba! I’m going after that winged bastard!” Her wings extended out, then she took off into the air.
“Rain!” Kasey shouted out after her. He cursed, then rushed back into the house. He got his gun, grabbed a hover board, and took off into the night.

Rain spotted a blimp floating up high above the city, then sped off towards it. Someone was waiting for her on top of it. It was a gray wolf with long wild green hair, yellowish eyes, and a pair of huge brown bird-like wings behind him. He wore a dark purple trench coat, a green shirt, and tan-colored pants. The purple hilt of a long katana rested in a dark blue sheath at his side. He wore the smile of a cruel and disrespecting man. “It’s about time you showed up! I was beginning to get bored…” he said as he drew his sword. Rain halted in the air, a blue energy sword materializing in her hand. Her eyes were filled with fury.
“What did you do to her!?” she growled in an icy cold voice.
“Before I answer that, how ‘bout you tell me your name?” he asked smugly. “’Tis only proper…”
“The name’s Rain, the one who’s about to pound you into the dirt if you’ve done anything to her!” she growled.
“What a pleasure to meet you! The name’s Raith. And oh, don’t worry; I haven’t kill her,” he said with a shrug. He smiled evilly. “But it was sure fun seeing what her limits of pain can be."
Rain’s eyes started to glow a greenish color. “YOU d**n BASTARD!” she shouted as she sped towards him. “I’M GOING TO BLOW YOUR GUTS OUT!”
Raith laughed aloud as he took off into the air and charged. They began to collide with each other in the sky, each collision growing more violent then the last. Kasey finally caught up and watched the battle disperse. He examined the fight closely, then nodded to himself before heading off towards the blimp.
Rain let out a couple of fire bolts as she relentlessly stalked Raith. Raith flew back from her, dodging left and right and blocking as she came close. He turned about, and ascended straight into the sky.
With her powerful wings, Rain sped off after him. Raith suddenly doubled back and bombed straight down towards her. A loud clash sounded as she was sent flying through the air.
Rain flipped backwards and landed on the side of a building, cursing to herself before springing back off after Raith.
They sprung at each other repeatedly from the sides of the city buildings. Flashes went alit each time their weapons clashed. It ended when they collided straight into each other in the center, locking weapons. Raith noticed Kasey from the corner of his eye, then quickly gave Rain an underhanded kick through a building window. “Sorry, but there’s an 'uninvited guest' I need to take care of…” He sped off towards Kasey, shooting at him with several bolts of electricity.
Kasey’s eyes widened when he noticed he had just been spotted, and quickly maneuvered out of the way. He avoided close combat the best he could, and danced dangerously about Raith as he fired back. In a sudden flash of blue, Raith appeared right behind him and knocked him down towards a nearby rooftop with his sword hilt. He slowly glided to the ground. “I’m curious; a common scum trying to compete with a Winged One?” He brought up his paw. “Heh, but I’m afraid this is where the foolishness ends!”
A huge blast of fire shot out and charged towards Kasey. Kasey groaned and sat up, then watch the ball of flame fly at him. ‘No!’ He closed his eyes, remembering everything Rain had taught him, then force out at his riatzu with all his might. A barrier shot out so strongly, the ball of flame was repelled back to its owner.
“What!?” Raith exclaimed in shock as he quickly sprung out of the way. All the energy in Kasey’s body seemed to drain away completely in that one moment. He fell backwards and went unconscious. “A magi…?” Raith growled under his breath.
Just as Raith was about to react, Rain sent a spray of bolts through the rooftop beneath him as she crashed her way up into the air. A good portion of his side was torn as one of them hit. He yelled out, then desperately blocked himself as Rain struck at him aggressively. They collided two more times in the air, then Rain elbowed him hard and sent him against the top of the blimp. Pieces of metal flew up into the air as he was sent through the railing. He yelled out, then looked up and cursed as she started charging down towards him. He put both of his hands forward, massive amounts of red energy beginning to form in front of them.
Rain stopped when she realized what he was doing, but it was too late. The large bolt shot off straight towards her. Aaron suddenly appeared in front of her, with enormous, brilliant golden yellow wings shining behind him. The energy struck harmlessly as a yellow barrier went up, then he shot down at Raith like a bullet, a yellow energy sword forming in his hand.
Raith’s eyes widened in fear as he quickly brought up his sword and tried to block him. Aaron crashed him straight through the metal railing on the other side of the blimp, and sent him plummeting towards the ground below.
“Aaron!” Rain cried out in surprise.
“I’ll head for Kasey. Now go get Mira!” he shouted back. Rain nodded understandably, and rushed into the blimp. She found her tied up with her mouth covered shut.
“No, Mira…” Rain whispered, close to tears as she started to untie her. Right when she had finished, Mira suddenly grabbed her and held her tightly, sobbing against her chest. Rain had never seen her cry, and it pained her to see her like this. She patted her back comfortingly. “It’s alright… everything’s going to be just fine…” she whispered soothingly. “Nobody’s going to hurt you anymore, I promise…”

When Kasey finally woke up, he found himself in his own bed again. It still was very early in the morning. He rubbed his eyes as he headed down the stairs. He was starting to wonder if what had happened last night was all a dream. He suddenly noticed Rain, Kiba, and Mira’s pairs of shoes were missing. He grabbed his jacket and shoes, then headed out. He stopped and watched the sky for a little while, then heard some whisperings not too far off. He headed around the corner, and noticed the three sitting against the wall, talking amongst themselves. When they noticed him heading over, they stopped talking.
“Good morning…” said Mira finally.
“Oh, hey… how are you feeling?” Kasey asked.
She lowered her eyes. “I’d answer but…”
“I understand…” said Kasey with a shrug before sitting down next to them. Everyone went silent, and a heavy atmosphere settled around them.
Rain tried to break the silence. “Using any kind of magic on the first day one learns it isn’t something that normally happens, except to Winged Ones. You should be pretty proud of yourself!” she said suddenly.
“Heh, yeah I guess…” Kasey replied.
Rain pushed him playfully. “Oh, don’t be so modest! I mean it, you’ll make a great magi! Who knows, you might even be the 7th Winged One we’re looking for!”
Kasey smiled slightly. “We’ll find out someday, won’t we?”
Rain watched him closely for a moment before answering. “Yeah!”
Mira suddenly stood up. “Excuse me…” she muttered before she started walking off.
“But Mira…” Rain trailed off when Mira disappeared around the corner. Rain sighed, and buried her face in her knees. “It’s hopeless…” she whispered.
By the sound of her voice, she was obviously close to tears. “What do you mean? Did he do something to her?” Kasey asked.
Kiba looked away. “Yeah… that man who kidnapped her was using her as bait to lure us out. But he also..."
“He tortured her like some kind of test animal… that bastard hurt my sister!” Rain finished his sentence harshly. A tear rolled down the side of her face.
Kasey’s eyes widened in shock, then he looked down. “Oh, so that’s what it is…” After Rain sobbed for a little while longer, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Please don’t cry Rain… maybe we could figure out some way to cheer her up?” he said comfortingly.
Rain wiped away her tears and nodded. “I doubt anything will work… the damage has already been done, but I’ll… I have to try!” she said.
Kiba stood up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” he said with a grin.
Rain nodded and stood up. “Me and Kiba will try to comfort her and head her away from the Inn. Kasey, get the others to set up a little surprise when we get back!” she said commandingly.
Kasey nodded. “Gods, another party in two days? I think I’m going to explode!”
Rain laughed slightly. "Not a party exactly, but if you wish to call it that!" She turned and headed off with Kiba. Kasey immediately rushed off to the Inn.

Mira looked to be in a pretty dark mood as she was about to start cooking. Rain placed a hand on hers just before she could pick up the spatula. “Not today Mira… besides, your tears could ruin the food!” she said.
Mira’s head drooped. “Oh, right…” she whispered.
Rain looked worried. “D-don’t worry, I’ll get somebody else to handle it!” She nodded towards Kiba. Kiba nodded back and headed off. “Come on, let’s just head out on a walk together!” She led her out into the street, and started walking down the sidewalk with her.
“It’s… been a long time, hasn’t it? Since the last time we were walking together like this…” Rain said hesitantly.
Mira nodded. “Except last time, it was you who was in pain…” she added dryly.
“Yeah… well, now you know how I felt back then. It’s… hard to get over, you know?”
Mira nodded dully. “And now I understand completely…” she muttered.
“Hey!” Kiba finally caught up with them. The Rain and Mira were sitting against the wall, sharing their experiences.
“Oh, Kiba! Glad you were able to find us! Take over for me and keep her company while I’m gone…” Rain stood up and started heading down the sidewalk.
“Wait…!” Mira rasped suddenly.
Rain stopped and turned her head. “Don’t worry, Kiba will be here take care of you for a while. Anyway, I promised Aaron something yesterday, and I can’t be late…” With that, she headed off.
Mira glared at Kiba as he sat down next to her. “You guys have something planned, don’t you?” she asked suspiciously.
“What? Ah, no no! I just…” Kiba turned his head towards the ground. “I don’t want to see you hurt anymore…” he whispered.
Mira raised her voice. “Like a girl can’t take care of herself? I’m not going to kill myself or anything you know!” she retorted.
“But I…” he stopped, and sighed. Mira searched his face.
“Look, I’m not trying to be mean or anything… I appreciate what you guys are doing for me, but I’m afraid this is something only ‘I’ll’ be able to take care of. I just… need time, that’s all,” said Mira as she looked away.
“Oh, well… recover quickly, okay?” he said awkwardly.
“I’m… Don’t worry, I’ll be back to my regular old self in no time!” she said reassuringly. Kiba smiled, then got up, pulling her up with him. “Hey, what are you doing!?” she exclaimed.
“Well…” He pulled out two tickets to an amusement park. “I just thought I’d spend the day along with you!”
Mira smiled mischievously. “Are you asking me out on a date?” she asked.
Kiba’s face turned red. “I-I never meant it that way!”
“Haha, I was just teasing ya. You take things waaay too seriously... Well? Let’s go!”
It was late morning when they finally made it to the park. Even though Mira was forcing herself to smile, Kiba could still feel her depressing aura affecting him. “So what ride should we try first?” he asked.
“Any… I don’t care which,” she said flatly.
Kiba sighed. “Well since we haven’t really eaten, let’s get breakfast first!” They got some french toast, bacon, and eggs at one of the mini-restaurants inside, and started eating. Mira looked lost in thought, and she barely even touched her food. Kiba sighed as he watched her.
Afterwards, they started heading on the biggest rides available. That’s when they started to have fun. They made fun of each other’s messed up hair when they got off one of the highest roller coaster rides. They laughed when they each got wet at some of the water rides. After lunch, they took on some of the slower rides like the Ferris Wheel to get the digestion off. Kiba looked at her, seeing she was again lost in her thoughts, but she didn’t seem half as bad as before. “Maybe this isn’t so bad…” she said suddenly. “At least, I feel a little better…”
Kiba smiled slightly. “That’s the aim of the game, isn’t it?” Mira laughed slightly, then stopped.
“But don’t be full of yourself just yet…” she whispered darkly. When they made it to the Bumper Cars, they both teamed up against their competition, slaughtering everyone. Mira suddenly grinned and knocked her car into Kiba’s.
“Gah, I’ve been betrayed!” he cried in dismay. Mira laughed. Kiba suddenly blew an invisible barrier towards her car and sent her far across the room. She winced as her car hit the wall, then she growled.
“Hey!” She sent a barrier back at him.
“Cheater!” Kiba yelled out as his car hit the wall, almost cracking through it.
Mira blushed as they were kicked out of the ride. “Erm, I might have gone a little too far…” she said.
“Heh, maybe… c’mon, let’s try out the arcade!” They both pitted against each other in every game, Kiba winning almost every one.
Mira growled out in frustration when she lost on a fighting game. “URG! That’s it, ONE MORE TRY!” she shouted competitively as she stuck in another quarter.
“Alright, but be prepared to lose!” Kiba said smugly.
Mira whooped with triumph as she finally beat him at the game. “HA! In your face, Mr. Game-Lunatic!” Kiba laughed, happy that she was finally letting herself go.
“You look a lot better when you’re smiling!” he commented suddenly. Mira blinked at him, then blushed slightly.
“Th-thanks…” Kiba bought them some drinks from the vending machines, as Mira got them some ice cream. They sat down and started to eat. Mira laughed when she noticed some of the ice cream got onto Kiba’s nose.
When it got close to sunset, they started heading back. “Heh, that was fun!” said Kiba. “We should do it again some time!”
Mira nodded. “Yeah, I agree! Next time, what do you think about bringing Aaron, Rain, and Kasey over along with us?”
Kiba smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great!” Mira’s smile suddenly faded when she heard someone nearby cry out. They saw people in a nearby alley cornering a young girl. Mira’s eyes widened in horror.
“We have to help her!” she shouted. Kiba nodded, and both materialized energy swords in their hands. They jumped in, dodging bullets and creating huge gashes across their bodies. Soon, only one remained, laying in a tumbled heap against the wall and breathing his last breaths. Mira watched him die slowly, glaring at him with fierce, murderous eyes. “How does it feel, you bastard!?” Mira raised her voice. The man didn’t answer.
‘Geez…’ Kiba thought. His eyes widened when the man suddenly brought his gun up. He started to rush forward. “Mira!” The gun’s aim suddenly turned towards the girl whimpering against the wall, and a bullet sounded. Mira obliterated the man’s body with one lightning blast, then looked down at the dead corpse of the young girl. Her fists clenched tightly and shook as tears started to form.
“Mira? Are you…?” Kiba began.
“No, I’m NOT okay!” she shouted, as she turned and sprinted off.
“No!” Kiba shouted after her. “Wait, Mira!” Mira ignored him, and kept running. Kiba searched about, yelling out her name as he ran through the streets. Something suddenly clicked into his mind, then he started sprinting off as fast as he could across the bridge to the other side of the city. He found her in one of the streets, slaying massive amounts of cultist members all by herself. She had cuts and wounds all over her body.
“Mira!” he shouted. Not too long after he said this, only one cultist member remained. The cultist sent a red ball of energy at Mira. Kiba’s eyes widened as it shattered her shield, and sent her crashing against the wall. He jumped out in front of her with his arms outstretched, and sent up a barrier in front of him. He winced each time a bolt of energy struck his shield, but held his ground. He closed his eyes tightly. ‘I can’t hold this for much longer…’ he thought.
“Kiba…” Mira whispered before closing her eyes.
Kiba’s eyes shot open. ‘I have to protect her!’ Despite his lacking energy, huge bursts of flame went up his arm. He brought his arm up and shattered the flaming bolt through his own shield. The enemy magi screamed out as he was consumed by the flames. He healed Mira up with his magic, then picked her up, and carried her on his back as he walked back across the bridge. When he made it across, Mira finally opened her eyes and spoke.
“I’m sorry I ran away…” she whispered, closing her eyes again. “I promise it won’t ever happen again…”
Kiba smiled. “Don’t apologize Mira… it’s ok.”
“Heh, yeah… I think I can walk now though.” Kiba nodded as she got her feet back onto the ground.
“So, what’s your secret? What exactly was it that you guys got planned?” she asked curiously. “Better not be something dumb… like I don’t know, a lecture or something?”
“Heh, you’ll see…” answered Kiba.
Mira smiled mischievously. “Or another dumb party…” she said. Kiba winced. “Bingo!” she said with a laugh.
Kiba scratched his head. “Hehe… well, we don’t want to keep everyone waiting, do we?”
When they finally made it back, the entire gang suddenly popped out with a huge sign saying 'For Mira'. “SURPRISE!” everyone shouted at the same time.
Despite herself, Mira smiled happily, a tear rolling down her face. “Everyone… thank you!”

Description
-"Nobody ever forgot what happened in the past. The faces of the dead would forever haunt them wherever they went. However, they all knew deep within their hearts, that their friends weren’t dead, and that someday, they would definitely be able to see them again."-

The Winged Ones

Within the city of Roscar, there was a war between the Rebellion, and the Cult of Beyden. The Cult wanted power above all else. They believed in their prophecy that once six of the seven winged ones are killed, the last will be granted the power of the gods. The Cult however also believed in superiority above the entire world. They wished to destroy all that opposed them, and rule everything with an iron fist. They wished to renew the world by destroying every other living being besides themselves. They were responsible for the barrier that has been made around the city. Nobody could get in or out, and interference from the outside world was impossible.
The Rebellion however was against the Cult. They believed that when the 7th one appeared, he/she would lead them to victory according to the other half of the prophecy. The 7th of the winged ones however, has yet to be found. Of the six known already, 3 were on either side, including Kadan, the leader of the Cult. The two who worked under him agreed to stay allied until the Winged of the Rebellion side were dead. The rest of the Cult would scour the city, fighting the rest of the Rebellion as they searched for the 7th Winged One.
Winged Ones were known as powerful magi, capable of complex magics far above that of a regular magi. They had wings resembling that of mythical creatures, including angels and demons. Their powers were usually awakened after some kind of hard ship. The amount of hardship needed depended on the power of the Winged One.

Kasey Rockwood was a black fox with brown eyes and white hair. His paws and the tip of his tail were tipped with white. He wore a black shirt, a thin blue trench coat, and a black pair of pants. He was 20 years old, and a part of the Rebellion. His parents died 5 years ago during the war. He completely lost it then, and became associated with evil organizations and gangs with little regards to its victims.
The only way Rebellions recognized each other was by a red sash tied around their right wrist. They were a scattered but organized group, and a big threat to the Cult.
Kasey was currently out in the street with a group of gunners, shooting at a couple of cultists from behind a barricade of cars and crates. He cursed as another of his men were shot down. “We need back up!” he shouted. His eyes widened when he saw one of them cast out a fireball towards the group of cars. “Run!” he shouted. He jumped down as the group of cars behind him blew up, then stumbled back up and started rushing out, not bothering to see if his other gunners survived. He looked back when he heard a couple of hover boards speed over the fire.
He dodged left and right as they fired at him. He ran as fast as he could, trying hopelessly to outrun them. He sprawled into the ground as one of them rammed into him with their board. They circled around him, laughing madly. Kasey closed his eyes, thinking he was about to be killed when a couple of fireballs rained down from above. One of them screamed out as a fireball passed straight through him.
A female fox with long black hair, blue eyes, smooth red fur, and black tips for her paws and tail, flipped down from the sky. She wore a white shirt, a black jacket, and a pair of tight black pants. She also had large majestic white wings shining brilliantly behind her. ‘A winged!?’ thought Kasey in alarm as he watched the wings blur out of sight.
“Get behind me!” she shouted. Kasey did as he was told, and they both fired all around them with their guns, slaying all the cultists who were flying around them. Kasey smiled, and then looked back as a few other bullets swung by. “Come on!” she commanded as she pulled Kasey into a dark alley nearby, out of view from the fire.
Another fox and a brown cat were there, waiting for them. The fox had the same colors as the vixen, except he had a more muscular build and shorter hair. A large scar lay across his cheek. He wore a red shirt, a green jacket, and a pair of tan-colored pants. He obviously had to be the vixen’s brother. The cat had short black hair and green eyes. He wore a black vest, a green shirt, and some jeans.
“It looks like we’ve lost another street!” said the vixen, keeping her back to the wall.
“It appears so!” the newcomer cat answered back.
"Because of me," Kasey muttered to himself.
“WHAT!?” the vixen tried to shout over the noise, looking back at him. She leaned back as couple of bullets flew by, and then looked out again. “d**n, they’re coming!” The bigger fox patted Kasey's shoulder, than all four of them ran to the back of the alley. When they reached the end, the fox started trying the door on the side of one of the buildings. “Hurry up, they’ll be here any second!” the vixen shouted.
The man cursed when he realized it was locked, than he stepped back, and pointed his hand at it. The door suddenly clicked. He quickly opened the door, allowed the others to rush in, than closed it behind them. The fox slumped down against the door.
“We made it…” he said with a sigh of relief.
“That all depends on whether they find us or not…” muttered the cat as he sat down against the wall with his knee up.
The vixen sat down on a crate, reloading her gun. “So, who the heck are you supposed to be?” she asked dryly, glancing at Kasey.
“I should be the one asking you guys. The names Kasey Rockwood,” he answered.
“And you’re part of the Rebellion?” she went on. Kasey quickly showed his red band. “So I see… good then. I’m Rain Windwalker, and this is Aaron, my brother. The cat’s name is Kiba,” she said in a formal tone.
“Then does that mean you’re both…?” he trailed off. Kasey was implying on the fact that they were siblings, remembering the wings she had.
“Winged? Yes, we’re both one of the three Winged Ones fighting on our side. In fact, Aaron’s our leader,” she answered.
Kasey looked at Aaron as he grinned back. “Lucky for you we came when we did, or you’d be a goner by now.”
“Why were you guys here then?” Kasey asked curiously. Rain nodded at Kiba. Kiba began to explain.
“We’re here because we’re looking for the last Winged One. Unless he or she’s somehow already been killed, the 7th should turn up any time now, and we can’t let the cultists get their hands on whoever it is.”
Kasey looked at him, and nodded. “Goit…” They all went silent when they heard a few men walk down the alley outside. Aaron held his breath as one of them passed by the door, then let it back out when he heard them start to walk away.
“Yikes, looks like we’ll have a hard time getting out…” muttered Kiba.
“We’ll head back to the headquarters at night then. I’d say that’s our best bet,” said Aaron.
“Wait, an HQ? I never heard anything about an HQ!” Kasey exclaimed.
Rain grinned. “Not very many people know about it. Formal welcomes are hard to come by in times like this, you know? You can come with us if you like!”
“Ha, like I have anywhere else to go!” said Kasey.
“Really? You don't have any friends or family to go back to?" she asked with a frown.
“No… they’re all dead…” Kasey said in almost a whisper.
Rain’s eyes widened slightly, and then turned darkly to the side. “Oh, I see…”

When night fell, they started to sneak out. Rain pressed her back against the wall and looked around the corner. The cultists left behind to guard were sleeping peacefully. Someone had cleared out the wreckage that blocked the street. Kasey saw one of the hover boards they had nearby, leaning against the wall. “Why don’t we use that?” he whispered.
“Idiot, do you know how much noise that thing makes!? Are you ‘trying’ to kill us!?” she whispered back sharply.
“Humph, fine then… but you two don’t have to stick around with us. You could just fly off any time,” Kasey muttered.
“We can’t do that,” said Aaron. “’Tis our code that we follow. We don’t leave anyone behind, especially as a Winged One.” Kasey looked at him with curiosity and wonderment.
“Alright, let’s get going!” Rain whispered. She headed them around the corner, keeping to the shadows. After they got out of sight of the street, they were led to a large bridge over a river. On the other side was another part of the city, though much smaller than this side. Kasey recognized the bridge as where he once crossed to escape his home, which was filled with too many unpleasant memories.
“Hurry up!” whispered Kiba, who was getting impatient. “Or we’re going on without you!” Kasey nodded slowly, then followed after them with a feeling of uncertainty.
When they got across the bridge, Rain led them to an abandoned Inn. “In here!” she said as she got inside. She led them up the stairs past some sleeping members of the Rebellion inside the rooms. “This’ll be your room, should you choose to stay here,” she said as she pointed at an empty room.
“Got it… err, what about dinner?” he asked.
“Well, if you’re hungry, I could cook up whatever leftovers my sister’s made.”
“You have a sister?”
“Well, she’s not REALLY my sister… but we’re close you see…” she replied as she turned and headed downstairs.
“I’m not really hungry… so I’ll be getting some sleep. Call me if you need anything! And by the way, welcome to our humble abode…” said Kiba with a grin.
“Heh. Yeah, thanks,” answered Kasey as he waved him off, and then headed down the stairs with Aaron. After they had dinner, Kasey got to bed, and stared up at the ceiling, letting his memories play through his mind. He sighed, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

The next day, Kasey went downstairs and got himself some breakfast. Nobody seemed to notice him, even though he was new. He figured it must have been a usual thing to see around here. He saw Rain staring into the distance away from everyone else, barely even touching her cereal. He sat down next to her. “’Morning Rain… well you look cheery,” he said sarcastically as he started eating.
Rain sighed. “Well, it’s none of your concern…” she replied tiredly. Kiba and a female black cat sat down next to them with steaming bacon, eggs, and pancakes. The cat had blue eyes, and wore a dark green shirt, and some tan-colored pants. She also had long brown hair.
“Hey, sup! Who’s the new guy?” asked the cat.
“Oh, I’m Kasey…” he replied with a smile and a wave.
“Yeah, we caught him up somewhere yesterday, when we were hiding from some people,” Kiba added.
“Ah, so that’s why you guys were late!” She extended a paw towards him. “Hi, I’m Mira! Nice to meet you!”
Kasey shook it politely. “Nice to meet you too!” he answered with a grin.
“Yeah, she’s my sister I was telling you about yesterday!” Rain said with a smile.
Mira hugged her. “Aww, you called me sister!”
Kiba leaned in towards Kasey. “Oh, they're way more than that,” he said jokingly.
“And just what do you mean by that? Quiet you!” Mira snapped. Kasey laughed, than finished breakfast.
A while later, Rain walked up to him. “Ready for your first official mission here? That is, if you’re going to stay,” she said. “Can’t have you sitting around lazily and calling yourself a member, right?”
“Ha, of course I’m coming!” He grabbed his gun and headed out with a few other members. Rain was with them as well. “And you’re coming with us because…?” Kasey asked.
“Hey, don’t be rude! I’m here to baby-sit any of the newcomers that join the party. That’s just the way we do things,” she answered.
Kasey nodded as they headed across the bridge. “So, who’s the third Winged One?”
“You just met her not too long ago. Mira’s the one. It’s actually kinda cool, since I’m pretty much closely connected to both of the Winged Ones on our side.”
“Yeah, that is pretty cool!” he answered in wonderment. When they reached their destination, some other gunners were already fighting the other side. Kasey immediately took up his position and started firing back. This street was dangerously close to the bridge, so it was a bad time to lose now.
They started charging in when they realized the battle was in their favor. He and Rain shot around, killing a few boarders trying to get close. The members almost went back to back as they killed the ones hiding between the buildings. As they got close to where the rest of the enemies were, Rain ran forwards with two fingers pulled around her other arm. A burst of blue flame erupted on the end of them. She shot her paw forward, and then a devastating blast of light blew a good portion of the center cultists.
Kasey watched in awe, and then was snapped back into his senses when a silhouette stepped through the flames. The flames spread out around the figure as it stepped through. He was a black panther wearing an unbuttoned red shirt, and a black pair of pants. He was obviously a powerful magi, whether he was a Winged or not. A fireball erupted from one of his paws. “Such d**n good timing…” Rain muttered. Her eyes widened. “Get behind me!” she shouted. Kasey quickly did as he was told. A barrier went around them as the fireball shot towards Rain, the resulting fires killing many of the other members.
He watched them all die in horror. “Oh god…”
“The name’s Red Firecross… the Cult has wanted you dead for a long time Rain! And I’m glad I finally have the chance…” the panther said, smiling murderously. Rain cursed under her breath.
“Such a welcoming first day, huh?” she said sarcastically.
As the surviving members from both sides charged at each other and fired, Rain shifted out her wings, put her gun away, then flew up into the air as her hand pointed at the panther. Red suddenly grew out black-feathered wings and flew up towards her, red energy forming a long sword in his hand. Rain’s eyes widened as she created a yellow sword of her own and blocked him.
Kasey watched them helplessly as they fought each other above. He shook it out of his mind, thinking he should be glad he was even fighting with them at all. He slipped against the wall as a few shots fired by, then shot one of them in the head.
Rain and Red collided with each other above, firing at each other with red and black flames whenever they were at distance from each other. With a burst of strength, Rain sent Red flying towards the wall. He flipped expertly, then sprung off the wall and grazed her across the chest with his sword.
“RAIN!” Kasey shouted when he saw her hit the ground. He quickly ran over, and then looked up as the panther charged after her. He cursed, then took his gun up and fired at him.
Red blocked himself with a barrier. “You should know not to interrupt with other people battles, fool!” he shouted angrily as he fired a blue bolt at him. Kasey’s eyes widened when it shot straight through his shoulder. He closed his eyes, screamed out as he fell into the ground, blood rising out from his wound. Red smiled menacingly. “How weak…”
“Kasey!” Rain shouted. She quickly pushed herself up, then sprung off straight towards Red, and brought her sword down. The force of her blow sent him flying towards the ground. She sent blasts of flame at him with oppressive force. When the smoke cleared, she saw him curse aloud as he turned and took off into the air. The remaining cultists turned and ran. Rain quickly ran over to Kasey’s side. “Kasey, speak to me! Kasey…”
Those were the last words he heard before closing his eyes.

He woke up in his bed with a start. It was getting close to sunset outside. He winced as he felt his shoulder sting, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as it did before. He wondered if it was all a dream. “So you’re finally awake?” came Rain’s voice. She walked in from the door. “How does your wound feel?” she asked.
“So… it wasn’t a dream then? Yeah, I feel fine. Somehow…” he trailed off in confusion.
“No, it wasn’t a dream. I was able to heal you with my powers just before you could die…” said Rain.
“Oh… then what about you?” he asked. Rain smiled.
“I’m fine; thanks for asking. Winged Ones are able to self-heal a lot faster than regular people do,” she replied.
Kasey smiled. “I’m glad then…” He turned sideways, and sat on the edge of his bed.
“You sure you don’t wanna rest?” she asked.
“No, I’m okay…” he replied.
“That’s good… but next time, leave all the Winged One battles to me or the others. Someone like you could never hope to defeat people like them,” she said in a scolding tone.
“But I… I want to fight!” he retorted. “Especially if a friend is in trouble…”
Rain sighed, then walked over and sat down next to him. “Look at reality Kasey… you’re not a Winged One, and you’re not even a magi. There’s no way you’ll be able to protect yourself when they send out their attacks. I also don’t want anyone’s blood spilled for my sake, do you understand?”
“No, I don’t understand…” Kasey said darkly.
“Heh… you know whom you remind me of? Mira… She used act like this all the time, until she realized her powers that is… Tell ya what: You can fight with me, but only if you let me give you some training in the arts of the magi first.”
Kasey smiled at her, and then nodded. “Works for me! But, won’t I also need to fly…?”
Rain chuckled. “And how are you going to do that?” she asked.
Kasey scratched his chin, deep in thought. “We have to somehow get our hands on those hover boards…” he said. “With them, we’ll have a much bigger advantage against the Cult.”
Rain’s eyes widened. “That’s actually not such a bad idea… Of course! Why didn’t I think of it before!? I know where the closest factory is that produces those boards, and if we attack at night, they won’t even know what hit them!”
Kasey grinned. “So that means I made a good idea then?”
Rain grinned back. “Yeah well, don’t get in over your head!” She slipped off the bed and headed towards the door, then suddenly halted. “Oh, and by the way, glad to know you see me as a friend.” She turned her head and winked at him, then walked off. Kasey smiled at her as she walked off, then slipped off the bed and decided to get ready.
They headed off into the night. Kasey, Rain, and Kiba walked beside each other, in the lead of around a dozen other Rebels. They headed across the bridge, and towards the location Rain had indicated. When they noticed it in the distance, Kiba spoke. “It was a really good idea to come out here… you should come along with us more often!” said Kiba as he cheerily patted his back.
“I agree, this will definitely give us an edge against the Cult!” said Rain with a grin.
Kasey smiled modestly. “Aww, it was nothing…” When they neared it, they watched it from behind a building. The lights around it were on.
“Sheesh… you’d think they’d be off work by now…” said Kiba.
“That’s why we brought along some more people. There’s no turning back now…” said Rain as she loaded up her gun. Kasey nodded, then they headed off towards the building along with the others. Rain jumped down from the air and took out the two guarding the door with her fists. “Time to head in!” she shouted. The rest of the Rebels followed after. Kasey and Rain stood on either side of the door. They both exchanged glances and nodded at each other, before kicking down the door.
Kasey, Rain, and Kiba rushed in with their guns drawn. “All of you halt! We are taking over this factory!” One of the cultist members cursed, then he hit the alarm right near him with his fist. Kasey cursed as the alarm rang throughout the entire building. All the cultist members drew out their guns and started firing at them.
“Charge!” Kiba shouted as they rushed in and fired back.
Kasey, Rain, and a few others started fighting their way up the stairs. Kiba stayed behind and took charge of the attack below. Kasey’s eyes widened when one of the men were shot down from the window. Rain quickly shot a boarder flying outside.
“Keep going!” she shouted. They worked together as they headed down a corridor, firing down or knocking out any boarders or cultists that came up along their path. A few boarders started catching up with them from behind. Kasey cursed, then they quickly rushed around the corner. When they got in halfway, three other boarders flew out in front of them. They all went back to back as they approached.
“Dang, they're pretty persistent!” Kasey growled. Rain was about to agree when something crashed through the ceiling.
“STOP!” growled a familiar voice. It was Red Firecross, the Winged Rain had fought earlier. He landed down close to them, then pointed at Rain as an evil smile plaid across his lips. “That one’s mine!”
Kasey was about to turn his gun on him when Red suddenly appeared behind Rain in a flash. Rain's eyes widened, then she quickly brought her gun up and whirled around. Red quickly struck it in half with an energy sword. Rain swiftly made one of her own, and jumped back as she blocked another blow. Noticing Kasey, she dodged another strike, and blinded everyone with a bright light from her hands. During the confusion, she quickly slipped straight past Red as he hit the wall, then brought out her wings and flew straight up through the hole in the ceiling. Red roared out as he sped up after her.
Kasey cursed aloud as the boarders left their confusion and started firing again. He shot down any of them that got in his way, letting the other rebels deal with the rest. He grabbed one of the dead cultist's hoverboards as he passed by, and rushed off towards the next flight of stairs.
A few stories up in the air above the rooftop, Rain and Red fought viciously. Rain sent up a barrier as a few red orbs struck her shield, then sent a large fire blast at Red. The flames engulfed around him as he brought up his barrier, then he charged after Rain.
Rain flew back a short distance, then turned and clashed blades with him several times. She dodged a swing, then sped away from him again. She zigzagged in the air as Red sent a few magic bolts at her, then whirled about and clashed blades with him again.
Kasey finally got up to the top, and looked up in awe at the flashing lights as the two collided with each other again and again. It was white winged versus black winged, and the very sight of it gave off a majestic feeling. From the looks of it though, Rain was already going out of her way to defend herself. Kasey shook it off, then dropped down his board and jumped onto it. As he took off into the air, he realized how easy it was too control. It moved according to his very thoughts. He flet used to it already. The only problem was getting to keep himself balanced while keeping control over the speed of it.
Kasey fired a couple of shots, muttering to himself after all the shots had missed. When he reached the battle area, Rain could see him coming. “No Kasey, stay back! AH!” she yelped as Red’s sword nicked her shoulder.
“Keep your eye on the battle, idiot!” Red growled insultingly as he sent his barrier out against her. She screamed as it impacted with her and sent her crashing towards the roof. Kasey growled, then fired at Red again.
Red spiraled around through the air, dodging the shots expertly, then fired back with red bolts of flame.
Kasey desperately dodge them with a few awkward maneuvers, then looked up in shock when Red got close. His arm was scathed by Red's blade as he pulled back on the board out of his range. He fired back at him with a spray of bullets, then smiled when he struck Red's wings.
Red pummeled down into the rooftop and tumbled as he hit the ground. He slowly pushed himself up, cursing at his carelessness, then looked to the side when he saw a glint of light at the corner of his eyes.
Rain’s blade collided with his, the force sending him flying off the roof. She took off after him, and clashed at him oppressively.
Red cursed as she chased him oppressively through the air. He suddenly struck back when he found an opening, and regained equal grounds with her. He locked blades with her, then quickly brought his hand up and shot her in the side. Rain yelled out painfully as her flesh was ripped away. Just as Red was about to take advantage, Kasey flew down from above and shot him in the shoulder.
Red yelled out, then growled as he charged up after him. They danced around each other, firing back and forth as Kasey narrowly avoided swings from his blade.
When Red was finally able to get a straight charge towards him, a glint caught his eye. He pulled back as several blue fireballs from Rain below passed by. She was charging up at them fast, despite the blood flying out from her wound. Kasey took advantage, and started firing at Red as well.
Red dodged about as they started double-teaming against him. “d**n!” he cursed aloud, clasping his arm when it took a direct hit from Rain. He growled, then shot at Kasey’s board. He quickly turned and flew off, nursing at his wounds.
Kasey yelled out as his board broke in half, then started plummeting towards the rooftop. “Kasey!” Rain shouted. She took off after him and caught him just before he could hit the roof. She landed, and looked up as the wounded Red flew off.
Kiba finally caught up after them. “Rain, Kasey! Are you guys okay!?” he asked as he rushed over.
“We’re fine!” Rain replied as she gently placed Kasey on the ground. “Thanks Rain… you saved my life again… wait, Rain!?” Kasey sat up when he saw the gaping wound in her side. She winced and clasped at it, as she fell to her knees.
“I’ll be okay…” she managed to make out. “D-don’t worry about me!”
“Rain!? Oh god, we have to get her back…” said Kiba as he knelt down beside her. Kasey cursed, then got up and pulled Rain onto his back.
“Aaron and Mira have healing powers too, right!?” he asked desperately.
Kiba nodded. “All winged do, but we have to get her to them fast!”
“What about the factory?”
“Oh, now that the Winged is gone, we shouldn’t have any problem with getting enough hover boards back with us to Headquarters.” Kasey nodded. Kiba quickly handed him a board. “Now go!”
Rain’s bloody wings slowly faded from sight as her arms clung tightly around Kasey's neck. She felt dizzy as her vision started to fade. “Hold on, Rain…” Kasey whispered.
“Ka… sey…” she whispered weakly. Her eyes slowly closed as she lost concsiousness.

“Will she be okay!?” came Kasey’s voice.
“Don’t worry, she should be just fine…” came Aaron’s soon after.
“Thank god…” whispered Mira’s.
Rain opened her eyes and blinked a few times until her vision came back. Kasey, Aaron, and Mira were all standing over her, looking down at her. “Looks like you saved MY butt this time Kasey…” she whispered with a weak grin.
Kasey sighed in relief, and smiled back. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.
Rain nodded. “Because of you, I will be…” she whispered. She closed her eyes. “But I’m really sleepy… right..now…” she trailed off before she lost consciousness again.

The next day, Kasey woke up hearing someone shout in his ear: “Wake up!” Kasey jumped, and clasped his ears. He looked up in annoyance at Rain who was standing beside his bed.
“What do I need to wake up for!?” Kasey groaned.
“Your training, that’s what!” she said strictly.
“Training for what?” he asked.
“Your training as a magi of course!” Kasey groaned again, then slowly pulled himself out of his bed. He didn’t bother to check for the time. The sun hadn’t even risen yet.
After he got dressed and got his shoes, she led him outside. “Alright! First things first, you need to learn how to block attacks! To do this, you need to be able to tap into your riatzu,” said Rain.
Kasey scratched his head. “…Huh?”
Rain pulled a face. “Gods… what I meant was your spirit energy. Everyone has a riatzu, but most people don’t even know how to use it.”
Kasey nodded in understanding. “Okay… now how do I make a barrier?” he asked excitedly.
“Oy, you should get used to using your riatzu first. You already have control over it, but that part of you is somewhere in your mind that you have yet to open. It’s best not to think about it… just close your eyes, and ‘feel’ for it. Be aware of everything around you, and try to sense the energy pulsing from your body…”
“I’m not even sure this’ll work…” Kasey muttered. He closed his eyes, and felt a breeze pass by. The sounds of rustling leaves reached his ears. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt like giving up when he suddenly picked up something. It had a pulse just like his blood stream, except that it was pulsing out of him from all around his body. It felt like it had been there all his life, but he never remembered feeling it before. The more he focused on it, the more he began to realize its presence more and more. Eventually, it became a part of his sixth sense.
Rain narrowed her eyes. “Well? Have you got anything?” she asked.
Kasey opened his eyes, looked at her, and nodded. “I… I definitely feel it!”
“Good! Keep this in mind, for all magi spells require the use of your riatzu. Now I believe you know what a barrier looks like. The trick is focusing on your riatzu and making it move and bend to your will. With this in mind, I want you to try and block my attacks!”
“Wait, your attacking me!?” Kasey exclaimed.
Rain smiled evilly. “Experience is the best teacher, Kasey. Don’t worry, I’ll keep them weak so that even you won’t be injured by them. But that doesn’t mean they won’t sting!”
Kasey’s eyes widened as she brought her hand up. He pushed his hand forward, and tried to get his riatzu focused. Before he had enough time to think about it, a blast struck him in the shoulder and sent him stumbling backwards. “Ow! Isn’t that a little harsh!? OWCH!” He fell to the floor as another struck him in the stomach.
“Do you think the enemy’s going to play easy on you?” she asked with a dark smile. Her smile faded. “I don’t think so! Suck it up, and start concentrating!” she said commandingly.
Kasey pulled himself up, groaning. He set his legs apart, and started concentrating on his riatzu once more. The sun finally broke out into the sky. Kasey was on his hands and knees, gasping for air. A damp layer of sweat covered his clothes. There were bruises all about the front side of his body. He tried to push himself up again, but fell back down.
Rain suddenly walked towards him and knelt down beside him. She put her hand up and a blue light flowed from it. Kasey’s bruises diminished slowly. “That’s enough for today Kasey. Don’t push yourself too hard… nobody ever gets it the first time, unless of course they were a Winged One, but even I had trouble learning this stuff!” said Rain. She smiled and brought her hand forward to pick him up.
Kasey sighed and nodded, then took her hand, and pulled himself back up. Even though his wounds were gone, he was still really exhausted.
“And besides… we’re having a victory party today!” she said suddenly.
Kasey’s eyes widened, then he looked at her. “What party!? I never heard anyone plan that!”
“Heh, I woke up early and I discussed it over with Mira, Aaron, and Kiba. Taking over the factory and obtaining those hover boards was no small victory Kasey. For once, it looks like we might actually be able to win this war! And it’s all thanks to you Kasey!" she said with a grin.
"Ehehe," Kasey replied with a smile as he scratched his head. They both turned in surprise when Mira came out, yawning loudly. She rubbed her eyes a little, then looked at them.
“Oh, hey you two…” Mira said as she stretched out. “So Rain, have ya told him yet?” she asked, winking.
“Ha, since when do I ever forget about a party?” asked Rain.
“Heh, true… prepare to have fun Kasey! You haven’t seen a party ‘til you’ve seen one of ours!” Mira said with a grin. She brought her fist up to the sky. “We’re the party animals!!!”
“Hehe, remember the ‘last’ party we had Mira?” Rain asked in a sly tone.
“Oho, I would never forget about that one! That night when we were alone, to-ge-ther…” They both giggled.
Kasey’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “I don’t know if I should be excited, or horrified…”
Kiba suddenly popped up out of nowhere. “Hey, Kasey! Awake already, are we?” he asked, grinning.
“I already know about the party, Kiba…” Kasey said before he could speak.
“Oh… well, I hope you’re ready then, oh Moses of the Rebellion!” They chuckled slightly, then Kiba quickly headed off to help prepare for the celebration.
“Heh, come on! We should help out too!” said Rain as she yanked Kasey's arm and pulled him towards where everyone was else was setting up the party. Mira laughed, and walked on after them.
Tables, benches, and signs were set up all over the side of the Inn. Mira helped out with making the food. Kiba took out a large boom box, cranked the volume all the way up, and grinned mischievously before pressing the play button. Kasey almost jumped when the loud music started to play. By noon, everything was set up for the party to begin.
They had lots of fun. The food was good, the music was good, the games were lots of fun, and everyone had a great time. When the sky was turning orange, Kasey and Mira both contested with each other on a table at arm wrestling. Just when Kasey thought he was gaining the edge, Mira grinned and slammed his fist into the table. “And I win again!” she shouted with glee. The crowd that had gathered around cheered.
Rain laughed as Kasey threw his hands up in frustration. “Dang, she must have cheated!” Kasey growled.
“Hehe, better luck next time!” said Rain as she helped him out of his seat. She turned around and started walking towards the street.
“Hey, where are you going?” Kasey asked.
“Oh, I usually take a walk after I eat quite a bit. It helps me digest a little…”
“Oh… well then can I come with?” asked Kasey.
Rain smiled. “Certainly!” Kasey put his hands into his pockets, then they started walking side-by-side down the sidewalk. Mira and Kiba as well decided to get away from the loudness of the party, though they were headed to some vending machines far off. The sky was getting close to sunset, and a red orange light illuminated everything.
“Say, Kasey. Since no one’s around, this will probably be much easier to ask. I’m curious about what your life was like… before all this I mean,” said Rain with a shrug, keeping her eyes fixed forward.
Kasey looked at her in surprise, then let out a brief sigh. “Heh, not exactly a story most people would like to hear, you know? You sure you want to hear?" he asked.
There was a brief silence. “I do…” she said finally.
Kasey’s hair overshadowed his eyes as he looked down. “Back then… before the war, I lived with my family. I lived with both my parents, and we were happy then. But 5 years ago, my parents died in the war. I ran away from everything that was familiar too me. I felt I had nothing to lose anymore. I feared nothing because I embraced death. Bad people would find me and we'd do all sorts of stupid things at the expenses of others. Then when I was 18, I joined a group of people I actually liked. Everyone accepted me. I no longer wanted to wait around for death to claim me. I made some really good friends. When I was 19 though, during a raid, my best friend was shot. That was when I left the that life. As I was wandering aimlessly, I helped out a couple of guys fighting on the street. It turned out they were from the Rebellion and they accepted me in, and all I’ve been thinking about since then was attacking the enemy. That was until I met you guys…” he said, glancing at her.
Rain nodded to him and smiled, then looked away. “That must have been a miserable life… I’m not sure if I want to tell you this, but fair’s fair. I was happy at first along with my family too, until my parents divorced. Thankfully I got to live with my mom. When the war began, she started coming back from work late for some odd reason. Eventually, she told us to live with my aunt, and she started missing days at a time. I was really scared, since mom was more precious to me then anything. One day, some criminals attacked our home, and my brother and I were forced to watch my Aunt get tortured, and killed. Then…” Her lip quivered for a moment. “They started doing the same thing to us… Just when they were about to shoot, mom came in and slew them all. It turned out she was a part of the war, and never told us until then. She promised she would never leave our sides again. Back then, I felt like the only thing keeping me from a mental break down was her… Not too long after, my mom gpt killed during a fight out in the street. That was when both our powers awoke, and we slew almost everything in sight. It's horrible, thinking about all the people we've slain... and I imagine not all of them deserved it. For a time, we walked aimlessly as all these people were searching for us. My loneliness and pain turned into hatred for the Cult, and I finally got us to join the Rebellion. That was when I met Mira. She understood me better than anyone, and we became as close friends could ever be. We both supported Aaron when he was voted the next leader. There’s not much to say after that, other than the fact that we found you…” Kasey watched her the entire time. She was really close to tears.
“You… didn’t have to tell me if it was going to make you so sad…” he whispered finally.
She looked at him, wiped away a tear, and shook her head. “No, it’s okay… I actually feel a little bit better now…” she said.
Kasey smiled slightly, then turned his head forward as the sun began to set behind the city. “Heh, that’s a relief…” With that, they started heading back to the Inn.

Mira and Kiba jokes along with each other and laughed all the way to the vending machines. Just as Kiba turned around, his eyes widened when he saw something purple with bird-like wings swoop down at them. A blue sword materialized in his hand, and he tried to fight off the attacker. Mira’s wings appeared, a pair of black bat-like ones, and she rushed in fighting ahead of Kiba. The enemy was strong, and in a matter of seconds, she lay in a bloody heap on the ground. Kiba yelled out and tried to protect her, but the attacker struck him in the arm hard with a katana, and sent him flying with a barrier. He groaned, and watched helplessly as the man picked Mira up over his shoulder and flew off into the air in a flash. “NO, MIRAAA!!!” he shouted out on the top of his lungs.
He tried to stand up, but he realized his left leg must have broken when it hit the concrete. He clasped his arm painfully as blood rushed down it, and started limping his way towards the HQ. As he lost blood, his head started to spin, and his vision was fading. “Mira…”

Kasey and Rain finally returned back to the hideout. “Oh, so that’s where you guys were!” said Aaron as he walked up to them. “Walking out together, are we?” he said with a wink. Kasey and Rena both blushed.
“It… it’s not what you think…” said Kasey.
Rain laughed slightly, then she looked up. Her eyes widened when she noticed Kiba limping towards them with a bloody arm and leg. “KIBA!” she shouted as she rushed towards him. Aaron and Kasey both exchanged glances, then they quickly hurried after her.
Rain caught him just before he fell, and slowly brought him to the ground. “Kiba, what in the world happened to you?” she asked.
“R-rain, he… he took Mira!” he finally managed to say before he started coughing up blood.
Rain’s eyes widened in shock. “Who!? WHO TOOK HER!?” her voice rose.
“*Cough cough* A winged one… please, save her…” he whispered before he closed his eyes and lost consciousness. Aaron and Kasey both halted in surprise. Rain was trembling violently.
Kasey extended his hand slightly. “Um, Rain…?”
Rain suddenly whirled about and lashed out at him. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” she growled. Kasey stumbled back in surprise. “Aaron, heal Kiba! I’m going after that winged bastard!” Her wings extended out, then she took off into the air.
“Rain!” Kasey shouted out after her. He cursed, then rushed back into the house. He got his gun, grabbed a hover board, and took off into the night.

Rain spotted a blimp floating up high above the city, then sped off towards it. Someone was waiting for her on top of it. It was a gray wolf with long wild green hair, yellowish eyes, and a pair of huge brown bird-like wings behind him. He wore a dark purple trench coat, a green shirt, and tan-colored pants. The purple hilt of a long katana rested in a dark blue sheath at his side. He wore the smile of a cruel and disrespecting man. “It’s about time you showed up! I was beginning to get bored…” he said as he drew his sword. Rain halted in the air, a blue energy sword materializing in her hand. Her eyes were filled with fury.
“What did you do to her!?” she growled in an icy cold voice.
“Before I answer that, how ‘bout you tell me your name?” he asked smugly. “’Tis only proper…”
“The name’s Rain, the one who’s about to pound you into the dirt if you’ve done anything to her!” she growled.
“What a pleasure to meet you! The name’s Raith. And oh, don’t worry; I haven’t kill her,” he said with a shrug. He smiled evilly. “But it was sure fun seeing what her limits of pain can be."
Rain’s eyes started to glow a greenish color. “YOU d**n BASTARD!” she shouted as she sped towards him. “I’M GOING TO BLOW YOUR GUTS OUT!”
Raith laughed aloud as he took off into the air and charged. They began to collide with each other in the sky, each collision growing more violent then the last. Kasey finally caught up and watched the battle disperse. He examined the fight closely, then nodded to himself before heading off towards the blimp.
Rain let out a couple of fire bolts as she relentlessly stalked Raith. Raith flew back from her, dodging left and right and blocking as she came close. He turned about, and ascended straight into the sky.
With her powerful wings, Rain sped off after him. Raith suddenly doubled back and bombed straight down towards her. A loud clash sounded as she was sent flying through the air.
Rain flipped backwards and landed on the side of a building, cursing to herself before springing back off after Raith.
They sprung at each other repeatedly from the sides of the city buildings. Flashes went alit each time their weapons clashed. It ended when they collided straight into each other in the center, locking weapons. Raith noticed Kasey from the corner of his eye, then quickly gave Rain an underhanded kick through a building window. “Sorry, but there’s an 'uninvited guest' I need to take care of…” He sped off towards Kasey, shooting at him with several bolts of electricity.
Kasey’s eyes widened when he noticed he had just been spotted, and quickly maneuvered out of the way. He avoided close combat the best he could, and danced dangerously about Raith as he fired back. In a sudden flash of blue, Raith appeared right behind him and knocked him down towards a nearby rooftop with his sword hilt. He slowly glided to the ground. “I’m curious; a common scum trying to compete with a Winged One?” He brought up his paw. “Heh, but I’m afraid this is where the foolishness ends!”
A huge blast of fire shot out and charged towards Kasey. Kasey groaned and sat up, then watch the ball of flame fly at him. ‘No!’ He closed his eyes, remembering everything Rain had taught him, then force out at his riatzu with all his might. A barrier shot out so strongly, the ball of flame was repelled back to its owner.
“What!?” Raith exclaimed in shock as he quickly sprung out of the way. All the energy in Kasey’s body seemed to drain away completely in that one moment. He fell backwards and went unconscious. “A magi…?” Raith growled under his breath.
Just as Raith was about to react, Rain sent a spray of bolts through the rooftop beneath him as she crashed her way up into the air. A good portion of his side was torn as one of them hit. He yelled out, then desperately blocked himself as Rain struck at him aggressively. They collided two more times in the air, then Rain elbowed him hard and sent him against the top of the blimp. Pieces of metal flew up into the air as he was sent through the railing. He yelled out, then looked up and cursed as she started charging down towards him. He put both of his hands forward, massive amounts of red energy beginning to form in front of them.
Rain stopped when she realized what he was doing, but it was too late. The large bolt shot off straight towards her. Aaron suddenly appeared in front of her, with enormous, brilliant golden yellow wings shining behind him. The energy struck harmlessly as a yellow barrier went up, then he shot down at Raith like a bullet, a yellow energy sword forming in his hand.
Raith’s eyes widened in fear as he quickly brought up his sword and tried to block him. Aaron crashed him straight through the metal railing on the other side of the blimp, and sent him plummeting towards the ground below.
“Aaron!” Rain cried out in surprise.
“I’ll head for Kasey. Now go get Mira!” he shouted back. Rain nodded understandably, and rushed into the blimp. She found her tied up with her mouth covered shut.
“No, Mira…” Rain whispered, close to tears as she started to untie her. Right when she had finished, Mira suddenly grabbed her and held her tightly, sobbing against her chest. Rain had never seen her cry, and it pained her to see her like this. She patted her back comfortingly. “It’s alright… everything’s going to be just fine…” she whispered soothingly. “Nobody’s going to hurt you anymore, I promise…”

When Kasey finally woke up, he found himself in his own bed again. It still was very early in the morning. He rubbed his eyes as he headed down the stairs. He was starting to wonder if what had happened last night was all a dream. He suddenly noticed Rain, Kiba, and Mira’s pairs of shoes were missing. He grabbed his jacket and shoes, then headed out. He stopped and watched the sky for a little while, then heard some whisperings not too far off. He headed around the corner, and noticed the three sitting against the wall, talking amongst themselves. When they noticed him heading over, they stopped talking.
“Good morning…” said Mira finally.
“Oh, hey… how are you feeling?” Kasey asked.
She lowered her eyes. “I’d answer but…”
“I understand…” said Kasey with a shrug before sitting down next to them. Everyone went silent, and a heavy atmosphere settled around them.
Rain tried to break the silence. “Using any kind of magic on the first day one learns it isn’t something that normally happens, except to Winged Ones. You should be pretty proud of yourself!” she said suddenly.
“Heh, yeah I guess…” Kasey replied.
Rain pushed him playfully. “Oh, don’t be so modest! I mean it, you’ll make a great magi! Who knows, you might even be the 7th Winged One we’re looking for!”
Kasey smiled slightly. “We’ll find out someday, won’t we?”
Rain watched him closely for a moment before answering. “Yeah!”
Mira suddenly stood up. “Excuse me…” she muttered before she started walking off.
“But Mira…” Rain trailed off when Mira disappeared around the corner. Rain sighed, and buried her face in her knees. “It’s hopeless…” she whispered.
By the sound of her voice, she was obviously close to tears. “What do you mean? Did he do something to her?” Kasey asked.
Kiba looked away. “Yeah… that man who kidnapped her was using her as bait to lure us out. But he also..."
“He tortured her like some kind of test animal… that bastard hurt my sister!” Rain finished his sentence harshly. A tear rolled down the side of her face.
Kasey’s eyes widened in shock, then he looked down. “Oh, so that’s what it is…” After Rain sobbed for a little while longer, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Please don’t cry Rain… maybe we could figure out some way to cheer her up?” he said comfortingly.
Rain wiped away her tears and nodded. “I doubt anything will work… the damage has already been done, but I’ll… I have to try!” she said.
Kiba stood up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” he said with a grin.
Rain nodded and stood up. “Me and Kiba will try to comfort her and head her away from the Inn. Kasey, get the others to set up a little surprise when we get back!” she said commandingly.
Kasey nodded. “Gods, another party in two days? I think I’m going to explode!”
Rain laughed slightly. "Not a party exactly, but if you wish to call it that!" She turned and headed off with Kiba. Kasey immediately rushed off to the Inn.

Mira looked to be in a pretty dark mood as she was about to start cooking. Rain placed a hand on hers just before she could pick up the spatula. “Not today Mira… besides, your tears could ruin the food!” she said.
Mira’s head drooped. “Oh, right…” she whispered.
Rain looked worried. “D-don’t worry, I’ll get somebody else to handle it!” She nodded towards Kiba. Kiba nodded back and headed off. “Come on, let’s just head out on a walk together!” She led her out into the street, and started walking down the sidewalk with her.
“It’s… been a long time, hasn’t it? Since the last time we were walking together like this…” Rain said hesitantly.
Mira nodded. “Except last time, it was you who was in pain…” she added dryly.
“Yeah… well, now you know how I felt back then. It’s… hard to get over, you know?”
Mira nodded dully. “And now I understand completely…” she muttered.
“Hey!” Kiba finally caught up with them. The Rain and Mira were sitting against the wall, sharing their experiences.
“Oh, Kiba! Glad you were able to find us! Take over for me and keep her company while I’m gone…” Rain stood up and started heading down the sidewalk.
“Wait…!” Mira rasped suddenly.
Rain stopped and turned her head. “Don’t worry, Kiba will be here take care of you for a while. Anyway, I promised Aaron something yesterday, and I can’t be late…” With that, she headed off.
Mira glared at Kiba as he sat down next to her. “You guys have something planned, don’t you?” she asked suspiciously.
“What? Ah, no no! I just…” Kiba turned his head towards the ground. “I don’t want to see you hurt anymore…” he whispered.
Mira raised her voice. “Like a girl can’t take care of herself? I’m not going to kill myself or anything you know!” she retorted.
“But I…” he stopped, and sighed. Mira searched his face.
“Look, I’m not trying to be mean or anything… I appreciate what you guys are doing for me, but I’m afraid this is something only ‘I’ll’ be able to take care of. I just… need time, that’s all,” said Mira as she looked away.
“Oh, well… recover quickly, okay?” he said awkwardly.
“I’m… Don’t worry, I’ll be back to my regular old self in no time!” she said reassuringly. Kiba smiled, then got up, pulling her up with him. “Hey, what are you doing!?” she exclaimed.
“Well…” He pulled out two tickets to an amusement park. “I just thought I’d spend the day along with you!”
Mira smiled mischievously. “Are you asking me out on a date?” she asked.
Kiba’s face turned red. “I-I never meant it that way!”
“Haha, I was just teasing ya. You take things waaay too seriously... Well? Let’s go!”
It was late morning when they finally made it to the park. Even though Mira was forcing herself to smile, Kiba could still feel her depressing aura affecting him. “So what ride should we try first?” he asked.
“Any… I don’t care which,” she said flatly.
Kiba sighed. “Well since we haven’t really eaten, let’s get breakfast first!” They got some french toast, bacon, and eggs at one of the mini-restaurants inside, and started eating. Mira looked lost in thought, and she barely even touched her food. Kiba sighed as he watched her.
Afterwards, they started heading on the biggest rides available. That’s when they started to have fun. They made fun of each other’s messed up hair when they got off one of the highest roller coaster rides. They laughed when they each got wet at some of the water rides. After lunch, they took on some of the slower rides like the Ferris Wheel to get the digestion off. Kiba looked at her, seeing she was again lost in her thoughts, but she didn’t seem half as bad as before. “Maybe this isn’t so bad…” she said suddenly. “At least, I feel a little better…”
Kiba smiled slightly. “That’s the aim of the game, isn’t it?” Mira laughed slightly, then stopped.
“But don’t be full of yourself just yet…” she whispered darkly. When they made it to the Bumper Cars, they both teamed up against their competition, slaughtering everyone. Mira suddenly grinned and knocked her car into Kiba’s.
“Gah, I’ve been betrayed!” he cried in dismay. Mira laughed. Kiba suddenly blew an invisible barrier towards her car and sent her far across the room. She winced as her car hit the wall, then she growled.
“Hey!” She sent a barrier back at him.
“Cheater!” Kiba yelled out as his car hit the wall, almost cracking through it.
Mira blushed as they were kicked out of the ride. “Erm, I might have gone a little too far…” she said.
“Heh, maybe… c’mon, let’s try out the arcade!” They both pitted against each other in every game, Kiba winning almost every one.
Mira growled out in frustration when she lost on a fighting game. “URG! That’s it, ONE MORE TRY!” she shouted competitively as she stuck in another quarter.
“Alright, but be prepared to lose!” Kiba said smugly.
Mira whooped with triumph as she finally beat him at the game. “HA! In your face, Mr. Game-Lunatic!” Kiba laughed, happy that she was finally letting herself go.
“You look a lot better when you’re smiling!” he commented suddenly. Mira blinked at him, then blushed slightly.
“Th-thanks…” Kiba bought them some drinks from the vending machines, as Mira got them some ice cream. They sat down and started to eat. Mira laughed when she noticed some of the ice cream got onto Kiba’s nose.
When it got close to sunset, they started heading back. “Heh, that was fun!” said Kiba. “We should do it again some time!”
Mira nodded. “Yeah, I agree! Next time, what do you think about bringing Aaron, Rain, and Kasey over along with us?”
Kiba smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great!” Mira’s smile suddenly faded when she heard someone nearby cry out. They saw people in a nearby alley cornering a young girl. Mira’s eyes widened in horror.
“We have to help her!” she shouted. Kiba nodded, and both materialized energy swords in their hands. They jumped in, dodging bullets and creating huge gashes across their bodies. Soon, only one remained, laying in a tumbled heap against the wall and breathing his last breaths. Mira watched him die slowly, glaring at him with fierce, murderous eyes. “How does it feel, you bastard!?” Mira raised her voice. The man didn’t answer.
‘Geez…’ Kiba thought. His eyes widened when the man suddenly brought his gun up. He started to rush forward. “Mira!” The gun’s aim suddenly turned towards the girl whimpering against the wall, and a bullet sounded. Mira obliterated the man’s body with one lightning blast, then looked down at the dead corpse of the young girl. Her fists clenched tightly and shook as tears started to form.
“Mira? Are you…?” Kiba began.
“No, I’m NOT okay!” she shouted, as she turned and sprinted off.
“No!” Kiba shouted after her. “Wait, Mira!” Mira ignored him, and kept running. Kiba searched about, yelling out her name as he ran through the streets. Something suddenly clicked into his mind, then he started sprinting off as fast as he could across the bridge to the other side of the city. He found her in one of the streets, slaying massive amounts of cultist members all by herself. She had cuts and wounds all over her body.
“Mira!” he shouted. Not too long after he said this, only one cultist member remained. The cultist sent a red ball of energy at Mira. Kiba’s eyes widened as it shattered her shield, and sent her crashing against the wall. He jumped out in front of her with his arms outstretched, and sent up a barrier in front of him. He winced each time a bolt of energy struck his shield, but held his ground. He closed his eyes tightly. ‘I can’t hold this for much longer…’ he thought.
“Kiba…” Mira whispered before closing her eyes.
Kiba’s eyes shot open. ‘I have to protect her!’ Despite his lacking energy, huge bursts of flame went up his arm. He brought his arm up and shattered the flaming bolt through his own shield. The enemy magi screamed out as he was consumed by the flames. He healed Mira up with his magic, then picked her up, and carried her on his back as he walked back across the bridge. When he made it across, Mira finally opened her eyes and spoke.
“I’m sorry I ran away…” she whispered, closing her eyes again. “I promise it won’t ever happen again…”
Kiba smiled. “Don’t apologize Mira… it’s ok.”
“Heh, yeah… I think I can walk now though.” Kiba nodded as she got her feet back onto the ground.
“So, what’s your secret? What exactly was it that you guys got planned?” she asked curiously. “Better not be something dumb… like I don’t know, a lecture or something?”
“Heh, you’ll see…” answered Kiba.
Mira smiled mischievously. “Or another dumb party…” she said. Kiba winced. “Bingo!” she said with a laugh.
Kiba scratched his head. “Hehe… well, we don’t want to keep everyone waiting, do we?”
When they finally made it back, the entire gang suddenly popped out with a huge sign saying 'For Mira'. “SURPRISE!” everyone shouted at the same time.
Despite herself, Mira smiled happily, a tear rolling down her face. “Everyone… thank you!”